


Sparring Isn't Sexy, but Cal Is

by ThatThembo



Series: Practice Makes Better [1]
Category: Andromeda Six (Visual Novel)
Genre: Ambiguous Traveler, Both Cal and the Traveler are bad at feelings, Fluffy, Gender-Neutral Traveler (Andromeda Six), I can't name things, I'm sorry the title of this work is as chaotic as it is, Other, Self-Defense, Slow Burn, Sparring, kind of, this is very self serving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27633782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatThembo/pseuds/ThatThembo
Summary: Given that the Highness now lives with a band of mercenaries, they need to work on their self defense. Today they get help from Calderon.
Relationships: Calderon Lynch/Traveler
Series: Practice Makes Better [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020517
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Sparring Isn't Sexy, but Cal Is

**Author's Note:**

> Part one of the "Practice Makes Better" series. This was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Disclaimer: if you read the other parts of this collection, then the first few paragraphs will look the same. I promise these are different stories, I simply didn't know who to write the interaction with, so I just did it for multiple characters!)

Wearing a shirt I borrowed from Bash, I make my way into the 'training area.' The Andromeda 6 doesn't actually have a specific area for training, but there is an area which is certainly large enough. It has a kick bag pushed to the side, several sticks that could count as practice weapons, and a handful of weights in the opposite corner. The shirt Bash lent me is a tad bigger than what I should probably actually wear if I wanted to show off any figure, but given that I really don't, I'd say we're all good. 

I head over to the kick bag. It's a decent thing, red in color and when completely lowered, the top is level with my chin. After taking a moment to appraise the bag, I shift it up a notch, the top now level with my eyes. I take another moment's appraisal, then strike. A simple jab followed by a packed cross. The kick bag wobbles in a small oscillation before stopping. 

Taking half a step back and keeping my hands up, I throw a round kick, it's not particularly strong, but still exhilarating. I get another brief oscillation and then the bag stills. Then I move to switch kicks, practically useless in a fight, but they get my heart rate up in no time. Feeling my body move back with each collision, I slow to a stop, careful to not hit the thick band of plastic supporting the bag. 

Taking in a breath before exhaling with a huff, I turn away from the bag momentarily as I decide what to next. _Fuck it, elbows._ Stepping closer to the bag I give a few elbow strikes before immediately giving that up. Elbow strikes may be fun, but the bag proves a poor opponent for that practice. 

I take a little step back and make an undignified sound as I realize that I need to come up with something else to practice now. Dropping my hands from their ready position, I turn to the practice weapons and I'm about to consider which to use but am distracted by the sight of the Captain leaning against the doorframe of the room. I almost overlook him, which is ironic as his tall stature and shock of yellow blonde hair make him pretty hard to miss.

"Ahh, Calderon,” I say with a voice of faint surprise. At being noticed, he pushes himself from his resting spot. "Is my solo training as atrocious as it feels?" I ask, leaving the idea of weapons at bay for the moment. 

"No, you are off to a strong start, though most enemies will not stay still as you attack them, Highness" I cringe at the title and Calderon smiles at my reaction before amending himself "Jasper."

Against every better judgment and even my own will, I can't keep the rush of heat I feel at hearing him use my name. It's fueled by part validation and part— I mentally shake my head, avoiding admitting, well, anything to anyone, least of all to myself. Still, I can't stop that feeling in my chest. A part of it really is validation. 

"Might I recommend a sparring match?" Calderon suggests, stepping forward with his arm outstretched. 

“Yeah, sounds good. Just give me a moment to hydrate." I'm not thirsty at the moment, but I know that sparring will make me need water like a fish on land, which is honestly quite fitting given my Kitalphan genes.

Once hydrated and loose shirt tied around my waist as to not become a hindrance, I square up to Calderon who, in his steps to prepare, took off the formal 'First in Command' Jacket leaving him in a black tee. Which I have no problem with.

"Light contact, kicks are allowed, and no strikes to the head," Calderon says, setting the rules of the match as he squares up to me. He towers over me by a good foot at least, leaving me to come up near the base of his shoulder. No strikes to the head, my ass; like hell that I could even reach that high up. We bump knuckles and our match begins.

Calderon is a tank. There is no better way to describe him. Not only does he have the height on me, but he would easily be able to overpower me should he want to. I've seen him fight before

and he is a force to be reckoned with. Supposedly I should be lighter, quicker, and more dexterous than him, and while I may have him beat in dexterity, the others seem unlikely.

Calderon tosses the first punch which I dodge easily enough. I know how to fight, but practice is something I greatly lack. Waiting for his next punch, I toss a quick round kick of my own; it's quick and misses him, but if I had tried to hit him, it would have made its mark at his torso. I try to keep on my toes, almost bouncing on the balls of my feet, but maintaining it becomes exhausting and I quickly switch in favor of just being light on my feet

Eventually, he throws the sort of punch I'm looking for: a straight right jab. Making my move, I block the outside of his right hand with my left hand before coming under him as my right hand reaches across his chest to his left shoulder and I try to trip him. 

The setup is good, and he does trip, but he quickly regains his balance by taking a few steps back. Still standing. _Shit_. Getting back into the rhythm of the match, we continue. Punches are exchanged on both sides, but throughout the whole match, we keep a slow to moderate pace, never throwing more than a few punches at a time. 

I sidekick him, and he dodges it easily enough. He then comes in with a downward hammer-fist strike, aiming at my neck or shoulder. I throw my hands up and am about to take advantage of the position and another try yet another trip when his other hand comes up behind my neck and he pushes my now unguarded upper body down and into his knee.

Despite the controlled nature of the strikes, I am still surprised and take a moment to catch my breath once he finishes striking my chest. "Call?" he suggests as he sees me back up, and I nod. 

Given the pause, I move to get another drink, now feeling the uncomfortable dryness in the back of my throat. "Good match,” I say between sips, still focusing on breathing through my nose as I catch my breath. Calderon makes a noise of agreement as he takes this time to hydrate as well. Though, he seems far less fatigued than I do.

"You attempted to trip me once, did you not?" he says as he tightens the cap on his bottle. 

"Twice, actually, but neither went through, obviously," I say with humor in my voice. "l am out of practice.”

"l was about to congratulate you with the one, but two failed trips is," Calderon pauses to give a breathy laugh, "unfortunate." 

I roll my eyes and smile behind the rim of my water bottle, "Yeah, yeah," I say with the same humor before putting the bottle down "You have any tips? Trips don't seem quite like your style, but you certainly have more experience than I do."

"Don't be afraid to push,” He says as he beckons me over with an open hand before shifting to a ready position as I get close, not in preparation to spar, but rather out of just keeping up proper form. "Throw a punch," he instructs, and I obey. At my punch, he does the same block and form as I had done earlier, blocking my punch and coming under with a hand across my chest, before pausing in that position. It's a little awkward due to the squat he has to maintain to do this technique, but it still works. "Don't forget to get your leg behind your opponents'," he says as he puts his leg behind mine before essentially just walking forward and subsequently pushing me back with his right arm as he performs the trip on me.

Unsurprisingly, his trip is quite successful.

I trip over his leg and break my fall as I hit the floor. He comes down with me, following through with the trip rather than just launching me to the floor. Once on the ground, I rest my head on the floor and relax the hold I have on him as the trip is finished. "Got it, can I try it on you?" 

Calderon nods and steps away from where we are tangled together. He takes a moment to crack his neck as I stand and then we are facing each other again. He nods in confirmation that I'm ready, and I return the gesture. A moment later he throws a right jab. I step in with the block easily enough, and move my leg behind his, and do the trip. This time it succeeds, but the entire thing is choppy. Landing with a thud, Calderon stays on the floor, thinking through the trip. 

He rises to his feet a moment later. Getting back into a ready position he nods. “Again. This time focus on your center of gravity.” 

Then we do the same trip again, and again, and again. After a good 20 minutes, I feel like I've got the hang of it. I am about to ask if we can try the other throw but am suddenly interrupted by a crackling sound as the ship's speakers come to life and Ayame's voice echoes throughout the room.

"Hey Cal, when you have a minute, get onto the bridge, I want to annoy you about something." Calderon groans and I can't help but chuckle at the relationship Ayame and Calderon share. 

"Sounds like an emergency, you really shouldn't keep her waiting. Who knows what trouble she could get into?" I say with mock concern, knowing that Ayame probably is just waiting to tease him about who knows what.

Calderon glares at me, but the look lacks malice. "Oh no. Not you too, Highness," I can't help but laugh even despite the title, if anything it almost makes the whole interaction more entertaining. At my laughter, Calderon can't stop the smile tugging at the ends of his lips. My laughter dies out and we share a moment just smiling at each other. Suddenly, Calderon snakes his head briskly and clears his throat before speaking again. "You have progressed well. That trip is coming along nicely." 

I nod but am unable to completely stifle the smile on my face. Not that I necessarily want to. "Thank you, Captain." Two can play at this game of titles. I make a show of briefly contemplating my next move before relenting. "Calderon."

Calderon clears his throat again and grabs his jacket before nodding and moving towards the exit. "We shall continue this lesson at another time, then," he says as he puts the jacket on. 

"Sounds good by me. Say hi to Aya for me." He rolls his eyes, and I am just able to catch a glimpse of the smile on his face as he leaves the room.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say, I love sparring/grappling/training fics. That shit is my thing. I have also sparred enough in person to know that it kills the mood, thus the title. I just felt that needed to be said :D


End file.
